Hathor's Return

by T. M. Grinsley

  Pressing our bodies against the floor, we did our best not to get burned. I felt the fire touch my skin, but it never burned me. My markings glowed brightly, stopping the fire from causing any damage.

  “Daughter of Eayni, trust your instincts. Protect what is mine, before Hathor destroys all I hold dear.” The woman from the Ptahshepses temple’s voice rang in my head.

  “What are these markings? Who are you? What-“

  “I wish we had more time. You must move, before she realizes you’ve been awakened.” She said, stopping me from asking the countless questions in my head.

  “Cleo will burn us alive, if we move. I am only human.” Fire closed in on us and I could hear Jo whimpering beside me. We were done for.

  “You are far from human, my child. It is time you remember who you are.”

  I felt a gentle caress on my cheek, and the fire that threatened to burn us alive shimmered, revealing a world from long ago.

  “How are preparations for the ceremony going, Keket?” Checking the last item off my list, I walked over to the altar and laid the sash on the edge. Tomorrow will be a day I will never forget.

  “Everything is perfect.” Turning around, the man who captured my heart leaned against the doorframe, watching me go to work. He was dressed in his usual warrior attire, while his hand gripped the hilt of his sword.

  “Tomorrow, Ra will give you the highest honor anyone would bestow. You will become the most powerful Prophet the world has ever known.” Malik pushed himself off the wall and joined me at the altar. Taking my hand in his, he brought it to his lips and kissed my knuckles gently.

  “I will not lie, when I say I am nervous. What if he is wrong? What if I am not strong enough to stop her?” I looked into his eyes, looking for a sign of doubt. All I saw was love, devotion, and trust.

  “You are strong enough to defeat her. You are the youngest woman to ever master the magic of this world. Ra would be a fool not to choose you.” Malik’s fingers grazed my cheek, pushing the hair that escaped my bun, behind my ear. Leaning closer into his touch, I longed for his lips to touch mine.

  For years he courted me, waiting for when the time was right. Ra’s advisors told me when I became the Prophet, I would never be able to take a lover and would need to take a vow of celibacy. Malik was furious when he found out, but there was something he did not know. For if he did, everything I have planned would be ruined.

  “He is right, daughter of mine. The power flowing through your blood, will be no match for the enemy. When the time comes to unlock your full potential, Hathor will never stand a chance. You are the only one strong enough to destroy her, though the cost may be severe.” Ra’s cryptic statement caused me to turn around and see my father enter the room. He was a man of cryptic words and puzzles meant to bend the mind and make you go mad, but there was purpose.

  “Father, I know I promised-“

  Ra lifted his hand to silence me. Golden eyes, matching my own, smiled down at me. “Do not speak to me as if I do not know the ways of a woman’s heart. You have five minutes, before Iabet must take you to your room to prepare you.”

  Running to my Father, I wrapped my arms around his neck and hugged him tight. Planting a kiss on his cheek, I leaned in close and whispered in his ear. “I will make you proud, Father. Thank you.”

  Releasing my hold on his neck, he clasped forearms with Malik and left the room. When the door shut behind him, I turned to face Malik. Father told me this needed to be done in private, for no one else to witness. The problem was, I was afraid he would say no. What I was about to ask him was going to change things forever.

  “What is it, Ruwhi?” Malik went to cup my cheek, but I stopped him and guided him to sit down next to me at the altar.

  “Do you remember when Father’s advisors told him we could never wed, that I would need to take a vow of celibacy?”

  “Yes.”

  Taking a deep breath, I looked into his eyes and told him. “When I found out the news, I refused to accept it. So I went digging. I spent hours in the archives and tried to find something to fight back. After days of searching, Iabet brought me a book that randomly appeared to her in her chambers that night. The book bares the symbol of my people. From the text I could decipher, it was written by the first Prophet. Iabet and I worked all throughout the night to decipher its meaning, when we came across something truly blessed by the gods.”

  “What are you saying, Keket?” Malik pulled me in closer, our faces inches apart.

  “Every prophet since the dawn of time, was never alone. They always took a protector as their own. Sworn only to love, protect, and lay down their life, only for them. For the Prophet to become who she is born to be, she needs to bare the markings of her protector. He will be blessed with powers of his own, for she alone cannot hold all the power and secrets of our ways. For without her protector, the power will consume her and she will perish.”

  “Tomorrow, I must choose the man who will be by my side and share the same fate as I.”

  Malik’s eyes bore into mine, waiting. “And who do you choose?”

  Releasing his hands, I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him. At first, he froze, not wanting to move, but I soon felt strong arms wrap around my waist and lift me onto his lap. Pressing my body tighter against him, I felt his tongue against my lips, asking permission to enter. Opening my mouth, his tongue clashed with mine, pouring every emotion he ever felt about me into our first kiss.

  Running my hands through his hair, I deepened the kiss, but all too soon I felt him pull back. Planting a soft kiss on my lips, I tried to get my breathing under control and my heart to stop racing.

  “Ruwhi?”

  “Hmm?” Leaning my head against his chest, I tried to speak but no words came out.

  “We need to stop this.”

  “Uh huh.”

  Clearing his throat, he pushed me back so I could see him. Running his thumb up and down my cheek, I sighed, wishing this would never stop. But the gods had other plans.

  “What did you need to tell me, Ruwhi?” He asked, searching my face.

  He removed his hand from my face, to help my brain come up with a coherent thought. “Qalbi, will you bind yourself to me? Will you become my protector and love me for all eternity?”

  Kissing me fiercely on the lips, he leaned his forehead against mine. “Always. What do I need to do to bind us?”

  Sighing a sigh of relief, I got out of his lap and started walking towards the door. “Tomorrow, dear knight. For tomorrow you will be bonded to the most powerful prophet in the world.”

  Kneeling in front of the altar, Iabet and Ra stood before me, reading the ancient passage. They told the story of my people, how we came to be, and why only one can be born at a time. Ra had me swear an oath to be true to myself, protect my charge at all cost, and give my life freely when the time comes. I sliced my palm and spilt blood over a roaring fire, sealing my fate until my last dying breath.

  “People of Egypt, bow before Keket. Prophet of Egypt, bringer of peace and slayer of evil.”

  Thunderous applause erupted behind me. People chanted my name as Ra wrapped a necklace around my throat. The symbol of Ra rested between my breasts, showing the people who I was.

  “Now, I believe Keket has a surprise of her own.” Ra turned to wink at me and moved out of the way. He signaled for Malik to come forward and kneel before me. Gasps were heard from the crowd, but Ra silenced them.

  Standing before Malik, with the dagger that sliced my palm to seal my fate resting on my palm. “Malik, warrior of Ra, defender of the peace. Repeat after me. Keeper of my soul, protector of my heart, guardian of the secrets. I give my life freely to protect and serve the powers that be. For if the Prophet should perish, my fate will be tied to hers.”

  “Keeper of my soul, protector of my heart, guardian of the secrets.” Malik looked me dead in the eyes as he spoke the words back to me. “I give my life freely to protect and serve the powers that be. For if the Prop
het should perish, my fate will be tied to hers.”

  Laying my hand out in front of me, I sliced my hand, barely feeling the blade penetrate my skin. “Protector of Ra, keeper of my heart, guardian to the prophet. Our arms will bare the marks of Iabet and Ra. Only those true of heart can see who we truly are. For our names will be etched into each other’s skin, for when we are apart, we will always be able to find our way back.”

  Slicing Malik’s hand, I laid mine over his and chanted the words only my people knew. “Alihat wiladat jadidatun. Qum bi'iislah ma tama kasaruh. Shifa' ma tama kasr wakhatam musiruna.” As I chanted the words low enough that only Malik and I could hear, our arms began to burn, causing me to grit my teeth. The symbols glowed to life, causing an explosion of light and power inside me.

  Ra rested his hand on my shoulder, and I could feel the love pour into me. “I am proud to call you my own, Eayni. Enjoy your celebration. For tomorrow, you shall wed. Then the battle to end all battles will begin. Hathor will not rest until you are wiped from the face of the earth.”

  Back in the present, fire surrounded our bodies and Jo screamed when it touched her skin. Shaking my head at what just happened, I turned my attention to Cleo and anger erupted inside me, like never before. Power surged inside me and my sights were set on her. I felt someone take control of my body and I was no longer Kris. I fought with everything I had, but whoever was inside me had complete control.

  Throwing my arms out in front of me, I closed my eyes and envisioned a massive shield surrounding the woman behind me and myself. My markings glowed to life, throwing a barrier in front of me, stopping the fire in its tracks. My wounds healed without a second thought, but my clothes were another story. Hathor roared to life, commanding the snakes to attack. Slithering towards us, they passed through the fire without being touched.

  “It’s been too long, Hathor. It’s time to die.” A voice not my own hissed.

  Throwing my hand in front of me, the snake slammed into my barrier and went frantic. Moving my fingers in a wavelike motion, the fire began to twist and expand, burning the snakes to a crisp.

  “KRIS! STOP THIS!”

  Looking over my shoulder, I tilted my head at the girl behind me, unaware of who she was. Her shirt was burned and tears streamed down her face.

  “Oh, God. Kris, your eyes are glowing!” the girl screamed. She reached for my hand, but I smacked it away.

  “Who do you think you are? I am Keket, daughter of Ra, and Protector of the people. Do not touch me.” My voice sounded unlike my own. Everything around me began to become fuzzy, but I narrowed my sights on Cleo.

  “I have waited a long time for this, Keket.” Cleo threw her hands out, her hair moving in all directions. A dark mist erupted from her hands, making its way towards us.

  Darkness slammed into the barrier, rising to the ceiling, fighting its way in. “You will pay for what you did!”

  “Daughter of Eayni. Stop this! This is not who you are. Kris, fight her. Do not let her do this.” The naked woman from before invaded my mind, stopping the unseen force in control of my body.

  “I can’t fight her!” I used every ounce of strength I had left to get control of my body back.

  “This is the only time I can help you. My powers are weak. When you take control, do whatever you can to get out of the temple. Find Malik. He can help. I’ll be waiting for you in the place where your people now rest.”

  Power flew through my body, expelling the strong force inside me. “NO! You cannot do this!” My voice screamed, until my body slammed into the wall and slumped to the ground. The naked woman stood before me, a bright light encasing her body. Cleo screamed, making me cover my ears to block out her voice.

  Turning to watch the naked woman, she shot white light from her hands and blasted Cleo against the wall. Cleo was pinned against the wall, fighting with everything she had to break free. The naked woman turned to me and her features were barely visible. She looked familiar, but I didn’t know from where.

  “I am sorry, daughter of Eayni. Please forgive me.”

  She invaded my mind and I could feel her heart breaking. With my energy depleted, I tried to reach out to her, but I had nothing left. My body screamed in pain, making it known something was broken. The room erupted with a bright light, causing me to look away. When the light was gone, I turned to see that the woman and Cleo had vanished.

  “Kris?” Jo crawled over to me, with a frantic look on her face. Unable to move, I closed my eyes and let the darkness take me.

  CHAPTER 9

  ~ Josephine ~

  Tears were streaming down my face, as I tried to understand what had just happened. Kris was obviously possessed, but I had no idea what had done it. This was nothing like the movies. If we happened to get out of here, I was calling Hollywood and selling my rights to the movie deal.

  First things first, I had to wake Kris up so we could get the fuck out of dodge. Tentatively, I patted her cheek. “Kris, Kris. You have to wake up, we have to get out of here. C’mon, Kris. Please.” I sniffled, trying to stop the tears from flowing harder. If they did, I wouldn’t be able to see.

  I had to pull myself together. Damn it! I needed to get angry. Anger always pushed back the fear. Fear was bad. I tried to remember what my mother always told me when I was scared of something. Fear is paralyzing, Josephine. If you feel fear creeping up on you, you have to stop it. Fear makes you powerless and you, my daughter, are anything but powerless.

  Smacking Kris hard on the cheek, I prayed she would wake up, but nothing happened. I looked back at the carnage left by the flames and couldn’t wrap my head around what I was seeing. What the fuck happened? Surveying the room, burnt snakes covered the floor, a black circle formed around Kris and myself, revealing something had protected us. Staring at the burned snakes, I cringed. The smell made my stomach churn and a few of them were still twitching. Shaking my head, I had to pull myself together. Kris was unconscious, we were trapped in a room full of dead snakes and Cleo was gone.

  Turning my attention back to Kris, I pinched her arm, and her eyelids twitched. Pushing myself back against the wall, I began to cry in earnest. I was hurt, tired, scared, and confused. I wanted to go home. I knew I had thought that a lot lately, but I was really beginning to hate Egypt. We were two regular girls, wanting to have fun and forget about life back home for two weeks, why the fuck were we in this predicament?

  Wrapping my arms around my knees, I rocked back and forth, trying to calm my nerves. Five minutes ago, a burning inferno was creeping in on us, licking my skin, making me cry out in pain. But then something happened and the pain was gone. An intense white light filled the room, causing me to look away. I tried to hear what was going on, but everything was muffled. Leaning my head against the wall, I felt something tug inside my head. Something or someone was telling me it was time to put my big girl panties on and get moving. Time was of the essence.

  Snapping out of my pity party and doing what I do best, I went back onto my hands and knees and crawled over to Kris. I patted her cheek again, this time a little harder than I wanted to. When she didn’t stir, I started to get angry. Don’t you dare leave me alone in this God forsaken place, Kris, I need you. The anger coursed through my veins, calming my nerves and giving me a clear head. I only had sights for one person, Cleo.

  “Kristina Sahan Bulfer! Get your ass up. If you don’t, I’m going to find one of those damned snakes that are still alive and shove it down your shirt, so it can feast on your flesh, or put it in your mouth.”

  Her eyes flew open and she shot up into a sitting position. Her eyes were wide and she was looking around like she was confused. Taking a deep breath, relieved she was okay, I pounced. Wrapping my arms tightly around her shoulders, I squeezed her like my life depended on it.

  “OW! Okay, Jo, you’re smothering me,” she groaned. Then her eyes shot at me, “Are you okay?”

  “No, I’m not. What the ever-loving fuck is going on?” Pulling back from my tight hold on Kri
s, I helped her stand up. Kris stumbled a few times, but was soon able to regain her balance. When I was sure she was steady on her feet, I continued. “An hour ago, I was getting my brains fucked by a walking, hot-ass sex on a stick in a freaking temple, now there are fucking psychos chasing us, and people calling you weird names. Not to mention, what the fuck happened to you?! You were possessed by something, I don’t know what, then a blinding light, then everything disappeared, and you passed out, looking dead. How in the holy hell would I be okay?”

  “That was a lot of fucks in one sentence, Jo.” Kris said while she brushed off her clothes, and surveyed the room.

  “Bite me, scholar.” I snapped back.

  Kris took a step towards the line of burnt snakes and lifted her hand up, as if looking for an invisible barrier. Her brows creased, trying to figure out something, but she didn’t say a word. I watched her closely, looking for any signs that she was still possessed, but nothing raised any red flags. A few seconds passed by and Kris turned to face me.

  “Are you hurt?” Kris stepped towards me, looking me up and down. Following her gaze, I glanced down at my body. My shirt was burnt in several places and shredded to bits, but nothing hurt really. I was just ready to get out of here.

  “Fit as a fiddle. Now, let’s get the fuck out of here. I never want to see another temple as long as I live.”

  “Agreed.”

  Looking around the room, I wasn’t sure where to go to get out. I wasn’t seeing any doorways, windows, or levers we could pull. Stepping over our dead friends, we walked around the room, looking for anything that could help us out. Kris and I walked the room several times, but there was no such luck.

  Throwing my hands in the air and growling in frustration. I kicked a rock next to me. It went flying against the wall and hit the ceiling. There was a groan and an opening appeared. I looked at Kris and she looked at me; we were both wide-eyed.